A Nobel Prize in Microwave Engineering?

Madhu S. Gupta

ne of the goals of this magazine Alfred Nobel was an inventor and been an established scientific discipline, is to present new and emerging industrialist, with hundreds of patents a Nobel prize for microwave engineer- Otechnologies in the microwave to his credit, but his best known work ing would have been unlikely. It has field, and their impact, not only to was on explosive materials; specifically, often been pointed out that there is a microwave professionals, but also to he worked on making nitroglycerine a systematic bias in the awarding of others—the proverbial “intelligent layper- safer explosive, called dynamite. His Nobel prizes in favor of scientific and sons.” Recently (as this issue goes to accomplishments were therefore in theoretical works and against engineer- print), the announcements of the various engineering. Moreover, his father was ing. Many examples can be cited to back Nobel Prizes have been prominently also in the mechanical and construction up this assertion: for example, the featured in the news, and have high- engineering field. However, when award of a Nobel prize for holography lighted the scientific advancements in Alfred established the Nobel Foundation, to Gabor, who conceptualized it, but not their respective fields. Such public atten- and endowed the prizes that we now to Emmet Leith, who reduced it to prac- tion, brought to a scientific work by the call Nobel Prizes, he did not select engi- tice. The 2003 Nobel prize in medicine, award of a Nobel Prize for it, can hardly neering as one of the fields in which to for work on magnetic resonance imag- be matched by anything else, even if recognize outstanding work by a Nobel ing (MRI), was awarded to Paul over the years the works recognized by Prize. The prizes he established were for Lauterbur and , but these awards have ranged from very sig- work in fields with which he could relate excluded , who nificant to obscure, and do not always professionally—physics and chemistry, holds a basic patent on MRI, has had his seem to qualify as a “service to the given his background in explosives and patent upheld in the court, receives mankind” that Alfred Nobel envisioned chemicals—and in fields of personal interest large royalties on the patent from man- in his will. Service alone is not enough—the to him: medicine (he had significant health ufacturers of MRI systems, and has microwave oven probably serves mankind problems throughout his life), literature protested the selection of Nobel laure- close to a billion times a day, but lacks the (he liked poetry), and peace (his friend ates through full-page advertisements intrigue of fundamental particle physics. Countess Bertha von Suttner was a in and The Apparently, one way to bring the accom- champion of peace). If he had been an Washington Post in October 2003. plishments of microwave engineers to the artist, or a musician, or a philosopher, it Admittedly, it is not quite correct to attention of general public would be to is possible he might have included say that there is no Nobel Prize for institute a “Nobel Prize in Microwave those fields of endeavors in his bequest. work in the microwave field. A number Theory and Techniques.” Obviously, he could not have estab- of the Nobel Prizes for Physics have lished a Nobel prize for the microwave been awarded for work related to discipline, which did not become an microwave engineering. These include Madhu S. Gupta is with San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, identifiable field of work until half a the awards to Charles H. Townes CA 92182-1309 USA, +1 619 594 7015, century after his death! (Physics, 1964, for work on ammonia [email protected]. Even if the field of microwaves had beam masers) and Norman F. Ramsay

6 December 2003 (Physics, 1989, for atomic hydrogen coupler — the Bethe hole coupler. microwave theory and techniques? One maser). In addition, some of the awards People in other disciplines have necessary (but not sufficient) condition have recognized work that has had sig- long complained about there being no is financial resources. Large fortunes nificant microwave device applications: Nobel prizes in their fields. The Fields have indeed been made in microwave Leo Esaki (Physics, 1973) received his Medal in mathematics is one example engineering, but usually by corpora- award for tunneling in semiconductors, of the resulting corrective action on the tions, not individuals. The field of which led to tunnel diodes, used as an part of the mathematicians, and the microwave engineering does not appear active and nonlinear microwave device prestige it commands in its own field is to have an obvious affluent patron, a for decades; Brian D. Josephson equivalent to that of a “Nobel prize of “Bill Gates of microwave engineering” (Physics, 1973) was recognized for the mathematics.” Several other “Nobel- who would have a soft spot for discovery of Josephson junctions, also equivalent” prizes have also been microwave engineering. used as diodes for microwave genera- endowed in the century since Nobel Until then, IEEE Microwave Theory tion and switching at microwave fre- established his prizes, such as the Wolf and Techniques Society Awards are as quencies; and Herbert Kroemer Prize and the Kyoto Prize, but nothing close as you can come to a Nobel Prize (Physics, 2000) was honored for his gets the media attention that Nobel in microwave engineering. The Society work on semiconductor heterostruc- Prizes get. The only exception is the invites nominations for a number of tures used in high-speed electronics. award, instituted by the Bank of awards described on its Web site, and Another microwave engineer honored in 1968, called the Bank of the nominations for the year 2003 are with the Nobel Prize has been Hans A. Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in presently open. Bethe (Physics, 1967) whose award was Memory of Alfred Nobel, that is now for developing a theory of stellar lumped together with the other Nobel PLEASE NOTE: IEEE Microwave nuclear reactions, but who, earlier in Prizes in the popular press. Magazine will continue to be pub- his career at MIT Radiation Laboratory, So what will it take to have a “Nobel lished quarterly in 2004. had invented a microwave directional Equivalent” prize in the field of

8 December 2003